Irish pro-lifers fear abortion may spread

An Irish bishop and pro-life activists said any legislation to provide abortion in limited situations would inevitably lead to widespread abortion.

“If abortion is introduced, even on a very limited basis, it becomes widespread,” Bishop William Murphy of Kerry said during a radio interview Nov. 29.

Days earlier, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny promised “swift action” after a report recommended that the government introduce legislation to provide for abortion in limited circumstances.

In practice, abortion is illegal in Ireland.

However, a controversial 1992 Supreme Court judgment found that there is a constitutional right to abortion where there is a substantial risk to the life of the mother, including the risk of suicide, up to birth.

The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2010 that Ireland must clarify when women can access abortion under the 1992 ruling.